This invention relates to an antibacterial protective element for microphones and telephone receivers and to a package containing such a protective element.
It is known that telephones for public use may sometimes cause transmission and diffusion of infective diseases. In fact, when a person affected by an infective disease uses a telephone, he may deposit during the conversation a considerable amount of microbes on the telephone receiver generally and in particular on the microphone of the telephone and on the cavity containing the microphone.
For this purpose it is known to use spray bottles containing a disinfectant liquid which is sprayed in the form of an aerosol on the telephone receiver for disinfecting it. Although this system is relatively efficient with regard to killing the pathogenous microbes, it has the drawback of introducing the sprayed disinfectant into the microphone box and damaging the latter when it is repeatedly used.
Also devices are known that are made of elasticized fabric of particularly close mesh, which are applied to the receiver, fitting the shape thereof. This type of protection, too, has two drawbacks, i.e. that of considerably distorting the tone of the voice of the person speaking on the telephone and that of retaining the microbes transferred to the interior of the fabric.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an antibacterial protective element for microphones and telephone receivers, which permits to eliminate or reduce the drawbacks of the aforementioned known protective devices and which is such as to ensure a safe and efficient protection of the person using the telephone from potential contamination by infective diseases.
A further object of the invention is to provide a package which permits the antibacterial protective element to be easily applied to the microphone or the receiver and also permits the protective element to be conveniently extracted and separated from the package.